The Worth and Excellence of Civil Freedom and Liberty

George Wyllys, Secr.

An Election Sermon.

AND the chief Captain answered, with a great Sum obtained I this Freedom. And Paul said, but I was free-born.

SAINT Paul by Nation was a Jew, by civil Dignity and Privilege he was a Roman Citizen, by Profession he was a Christian, and by Office a Minister and an Apostle of Christ, and this was his highest Dignity and Honour. He had been bred a Pharisee, and was an eager and violent Persecutor of the Christian Cause, but after his Conversion, he was an ardent and zealous Promoter and Preacher of that Faith which once he destroyed; which laid him open and expos'd him, to the furious Resentment and Rage of his Countrymen the Jews, who now rose upon him, in a riotous and tumultuous p. 6Manner, in the Temple, whilst he was peaceably employed there—apprehended him, beat and abused him, in a very injurious and shameful Manner, 'till he was 〈…〉 by the Chief Captain with a Band of Soldiers, and ordered to be carried into the Castle; and being come upon the Sta◊◊s, he there stood, and having obtain'd Leave, he made admirable Defence of himself, by a particular Recital of the Manner of his past Life, and the wonderful Circumstances of his Conversion to Christianity: where upon the Jews were filled with accumulated Fury and Rage; they lift up their Voices—away with this Fellow from the Earth—they cried out, and cast Dust into the Air. In the midst of this riotous uproar, when some cried one thing, and some another, among the Multitude, the chief Captain commanded him to be brought into the Castle, & ordered that he should be examined by Scourging, that if possible he might find out what the Business was, and wherefore they they thus cried out against him, presuming that by this Method, he might extort a true Confession: accordingly they bound him with Thongs. At this critical Juncture, Saint Paul's Freedom & civil Immunities, as a Citizen of Rome, were of great Advantage to him: He says to the Centurion that stood by v. 25. is it lawful for You to Scourge a Man that is a p. 7Roman, & uncondemened? This Question imports a strong & clear Negation. The same Truth likewise is suggested, and weight laid upon it in the Sixteenth Chapter of Acts, where we are told, that after Paul & Silas had been beaten, & cast into Prison, the Magistrates sent Word to let them go, in Answer to whom, Saint Paul say v.37. They have beaten us openly uncondemn'd being Romans, and have cast us into Prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily, but let them come Themselves, and fetch us out— let them come themselves, make up the Matter, and dismiss us honourably.

p. 7THE Freedom of Rome and a Right to the Privileges & Immunities of that State was accounted an high, distinguishing Honor. I shall not undertake to give a particular Detail of those Privileges: some of them are mention'd here, which I shall take some Notice of. Saint Paul here complains, that he was Punished uncondemned & without a Tryal: now, it was contrary to the Laws of the Romans, and so it is to the Laws of all well regulated States & Kingdoms, to condemn or punish a Man without a fair, impartial Tryal, and the Accusers & Accused had Face to Face, & the accused have Liberty to answer for and defend himself: but in the present Case, Saint Paul had had no Tryal at all, but they fell upon p. 8and abus'd him, in a riotous, tumultuary Manner, which was a direct Violation, not only of the Laws of common Justice & Equity, but of his civil Freedom & Immunity as a Citizen of Rome: nor was this all, but they had bound and scourg'd or beaten him, from both of which he was exempted by the Roman Law. To bind or beat a Roman, or one who was free of that City, and intitled to the Privileges of it was by no means lawful: hence Cicero, in one of his Orations says, Facinus est vinciri Civem Romanum, Scelus verberari, that is, 'tis a great and heinous Crime, either to bind or beat a Roman Citizen: if they were guilty & deserv'd it, they had other Ways of punishing their Citizens, but Thongs & Whips they accounted too dishonourable and shameful Methods of Punishment, and unbecoming the Dignity of Roman Citizens.

No Wonder then the Centurion, when he understood that Saint Paul was a Roman, was alarmed at what had been done: he goes straightway to the Chief Captain, and informs him how the Matter stood, and desires him to take heed what he did: whereupon the Chief Captain went directly to Paul and said, tell me now seriously and honesty, are you a Roman Citizen, Saint Paul answer'd frankly and truly, yes I am; the chief Captain replys to this Purpose, in the Text, why that seems hardly p. 9probable, from the indifferent Figure and Appearance you now make, unless there has been some remarkable Change in your Circumstances; for I, who hold a considerable Post in the Roman Army, obtain'd that Freedom at an expensive Rate, & for a greatSum of Money: Paul rejoins, I had no Need of making any such Purchase, for I was free-born, born to the Freedom of the City of Rome, and all the Privileges and Immunities of it; it descended to me from my Father, who was a Roman Citizen before me.

p. 9THERE were several Ways of becoming free of the City of Rome, and being intitled to the Priviliges of it▪ one was by Purchase, so the chief Captain was made free: another was by Birth, so Paul came by his Freedom: and some were vested & dignified with these Privileges, in Consequence and Reward of some signal Services they had done the Roman Government; in this Way, 'tis probable eno' St. Paul's Father become free of Rome: for many of the Jews, by serving in the Roman Army, and signanzing themselves, were endowed with the Freedom and Immunities of Citizens of Rome.